Manning threw for 4,413 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2000. James led the league in rushing for a second consecutive season and joined Eric Dickerson as the only backs in history to surpass 4,000 total yards in their first two seasons. Harrison tied for the league lead with 102 catches, good for 1,413 yards and 14 touchdowns.

And the Colts remain a mystery team because their defense seems average at best, which is the main reason they've been eliminated in their first playoff game in each of the last two seasons. They couldn't stop the run against Tennessee's Eddie George two years ago or Miami's Lamar Smith last season.

This is a time for the Colts to return to elite status in the AFC East. The Dolphins won the division last season because coach Dave Wannstedt was able to pick up where Jimmy Johnson left off. Miami is due to slip. The New York Jets and Buffalo have undergone coaching changes that have resulted in a lot of personnel moves and strategic changes. And then there's New England, which should finish last again.

The AFC East is primed for a Colts return to the top.

Jim Mora has been a superb regular-season coach for New Orleans and Indianapolis. Bill Polian is one of the best general managers in NFL history. But Mora never has won a playoff game, and Polian never has won a Super Bowl, even though he helped build Buffalo into an AFC powerhouse in the 1990s.

Veteran NFL followers are asking how Polian and Mora can continue to virtually ignore a defense that has become the team's Achilles' heel.

After finishing 13-3 in 1999 and running away with the AFC East title, the Colts slipped to 10-6 last season and finished behind the Dolphins. Although Manning, James and Harrison stayed healthy, their record fell because the defense was 21st, including 25th against the run. They were tied for 25th in forcing turnovers.

In the first round of the draft, rather than select a defensive player who could help against the run, Polian opted for Miami receiver Reggie Wayne. He's a bona fide prospect but the last thing Indy needed in the first round.

Indy went on to select four defensive backs in the seven-round draft, and safety Idrees Bashir likely will start. But he's one of many inexperienced players.

Here's what Mora and Polian are counting on to improve the defensive performance:

·Middle linebacker Rob Morris, last year's No. 1 pick, doing what he should have done last season if he hadn't suffered a knee injury -- become a leader and stuff the run.

·Defensive end Shawn King returning from a one-year suspension for violation of the league's substance abuse policy and playing to his talent level.

·Defensive tackle Christian Peter, who signed as a free agent from the Giants, improving the run defense.

·Outside linebacker Marcus Washington, a second-round pick in 2000 who wasn't a starter because of injuries, living up to his potential.

In other words, Morris and Washington should start at linebacker, King and Peter on the defensive line and Bashir at safety. That's five new starters. But will it be enough to help the Colts regain their division title?